outer darkness to the glare of the light in the 'dobe was a
blinding transition. Pete and Brevoort blinked at the three figures in
the main room: Arguilla, who sat at the long table, his heavy features
glistening with sweat, his broad face flushed to a dull red, had his
hand on a bottle of American whiskey, from which he had just filled his
glass. Near him sat the owner of the rancho, Ortez, a man much older,
bearded and lean, with face lined and interlined by weather and age.
At the closed door stood a sentry. From without came raucous laughter
and the singing of the soldiers. The sentry nearest Pete told Arguilla
that the Gringoes had been caught sneaking in at the back of the
hacienda.

Pete briskly corrected this statement. "We're from the Olla--about the
cattle--for your army," added Pete, no whit abashed as he proffered
this bit of flattery.

"Si! You would talk with the patron then?"--and Arguilla gestured
toward Ortez.

"We got orders from Brent--he's our boss---to make our talk to you,"
said Pete, glancing quickly at Brevoort.

"How did you know that I was here with my army?" queried Arguilla.

"Shucks! That's easy. It's in all the papers," asserted Pete, rather
proud of himself, despite the hazard of the situation.

Arguilla's chest swelled noticeably. He rose and strutted up and down
the room, as though pondering a grave and weighty question. Presently
he turned to Ortez. "You have heard, senor?"

Ortez nodded. And in that nod Brevoort read the whole story. Ortez
was virtually a prisoner on his own ranch. The noble captain of
Liberty had been known to use his best friends in this way.

"When will the cattle arrive at the Olla?" asked Arguilla, seating
himself.

"To-morrow, Senor Comandante. That is the word from Sam Brent."

"And you have come for the money, then?"

Pete barely hesitated. "No. Brent said there ain't no hurry about
that. He said you could figure on two hundred head"--Pete recalled
Harper's statement--"and that you would send your agent over to the
Olla with the cash."

Arguilla glanced at Ortez. "You have heard, senor?"

Ortez nodded dejectedly. He had heard, but he dare not speak. As the
trusted agent of the financiers backing Arguilla, he had but recently
been given the money for the purchase of these supplies, and almost on
the heels of the messenger bearing the money had come Arguilla, who at
once put Ortez under arrest, conveyed the money to his own c